Mobile terminal

ABSTRACT

A mobile terminal, which comprises: a case including an electric component mounting part therein; a middle frame mounted on the case; a main board mounted on the case; a first antenna spaced apart from and arranged in parallel to the middle frame, and having a first end that is open and a second end connected to the middle frame; a first feed line connected to a first part of the first antenna so as to transmit a signal; a ground line connected to a second part of the first antenna and performing grounding; a second antenna connected to the ground line; and a second feed line connected to the second antenna, increases the number of Wi-Fi antennas, thereby enabling data transmission speed to become faster.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a mobile terminal having a structurecapable of ensuring antenna performance even when a bezel size isreduced.

BACKGROUND

Terminals may be generally classified as mobile/portable terminals orstationary terminals according to their mobility. Mobile terminals mayalso be classified as handheld terminals or vehicle mounted terminalsaccording to whether or not a user can directly carry the terminal.

Mobile terminals have become increasingly more functional. Examples ofsuch functions include data and voice communications, capturing imagesand video via a camera, recording audio, playing music files via aspeaker system, and displaying images and video on a display. Somemobile terminals include additional functionality which supports gameplaying, while other terminals are configured as multimedia players.More recently, mobile terminals have been configured to receivebroadcast and multicast signals which permit viewing of content such asvideos and television programs.

As such functions become more diversified, the mobile terminal cansupport more complicated functions such as capturing images or video,reproducing music or video files, playing games, receiving broadcastsignals, and the like. By comprehensively and collectively implementingsuch functions, the mobile terminal may be embodied in the form of amultimedia player or device.

As the functions of such terminals are expanded, various types ofwireless communication are applied such that data is exchanged in awireless manner. In order to utilize various wireless communicationschemes, antennas having different frequency characteristics areconfigured. In order to transmit and receive more data, a plurality ofantennas operating in one frequency band may be configured to transmitor receive data simultaneously or sequentially.

However, there is a problem that wireless communication is influenced bysurrounding electronic components and thus mutual interference occurs.For this reason, a distance from the antenna to other components and thedistance and arrangement between the antennas are being studied.

DISCLOSURE Technical Purpose

The present disclosure aims to provide a mobile terminal having antennasin which interferences between the plurality of antennas may beminimized.

Technical Solution

In a first aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a mobileterminal comprising: a case for receiving an electronic componenttherein; a middle frame mounted on the case; a main board mounted on thecase; a first antenna spaced apart from and parallel with the middleframe, wherein the first antenna has an open first end and a second endconnected to the middle frame; a first feeding line connected to thefirst antenna to transmit a signal thereto; a ground line connected tothe first antenna to ground the first antenna; a second antennaconnected to the ground line; and a second feeding line connected to thesecond antenna.

In one implementation of the first aspect, the second antenna includes:a first pattern connected to the ground line; and a second patternconnected to the second feeding line, wherein a gap is defined betweenthe first pattern and the second pattern.

In one implementation of the first aspect, the first antenna extends ina first direction, wherein the first pattern and the second pattern arearranged in the first direction.

In one implementation of the first aspect, the first end of the firstantenna and the gap of the second antenna are not overlapped with eachother.

In one implementation of the first aspect, the gap of the second antennaextends in a bent shape.

In one implementation of the first aspect, at least a portion of thesecond antenna is overlapped with a space between the first antenna andthe middle frame.

In one implementation of the first aspect, at least a portion of thesecond antenna is overlapped with the middle frame and is located on aback face of the case.

In one implementation of the first aspect, the case include a side case,wherein the first antenna defines a portion of the side case exposed toan outside.

In one implementation of the first aspect, the case includes a rear casemade of nonmetallic material, wherein the second antenna includes aconductive pattern attached to the rear case.

In a second aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a mobileterminal comprising: a case for receiving an electronic componenttherein; a middle frame mounted on the case; a main board mounted on thecase; a first antenna disposed on one side of the middle frame andparallel with the middle frame, wherein the first antenna has one endconnected to the middle frame and the other end being open such that anopened slot is defined between the middle frame and the other end of theother end of the first antenna; and a second antenna having one sideoverlapped with the slot and the other side overlapped with the middleframe, wherein the second antenna has a gap defined in a portion thereofoverlapped with the middle frame.

In one implementation of the second aspect, the mobile terminal furthercomprises: a first feeding line connected to the first antenna totransmit a signal thereto; a ground line connected to both of the firstantenna and the second antenna; and a second feeding line connected tothe second antenna to transmit a signal thereto, wherein the gap islocated between a location at which the ground line is connected to thesecond antenna and a location at which the second feeding line isconnected to the second antenna.

Technical Effect

According to the present disclosure, the mobile terminal may have theincreased number of Wi-Fi antennas to increase the data transmissionspeed.

Further, it is possible to minimize the interference between theantennas transmitting and receiving the signals at each frequency toimprove the antenna performance. Even when the size of the display unitis increased, the antenna performance can be ensured such that the sizeof the bezel of the top of the display unit can be reduced.

Further, a scope of applicability of the present invention will becomeapparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, itshould be understood that the detailed description and specificexamples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, aregiven by illustration only, since various changes and modificationswithin the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent tothose skilled in the art from this detailed description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A is a block diagram of a mobile terminal in accordance with thepresent disclosure.

FIGS. 1B and 1C are conceptual views of one example of the mobileterminal, viewed from different directions.

FIG. 2 is a view illustrating an radiator of a mobile terminal accordingto an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the operation and performance of afirst antenna of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of thepresent disclosure.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view and a conceptual view showing a secondantenna of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 5 is a view for explaining the operation and performance of asecond antenna of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of thepresent disclosure.

FIG. 6 is a graph illustrating a mutual interference between a firstantenna and a second antenna of a mobile terminal according to anembodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 7 is a graph illustrating efficiency of a first antenna and asecond antenna of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of thepresent disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTIONS

Description will now be given in detail according to exemplaryembodiments disclosed herein, with reference to the accompanyingdrawings. For the sake of brief description with reference to thedrawings, the same or equivalent components may be provided with thesame reference numbers, and description thereof will not be repeated. Ingeneral, a suffix such as “module” and “unit” may be used to refer toelements or components. Use of such a suffix herein is merely intendedto facilitate description of the specification, and the suffix itself isnot intended to give any special meaning or function. In the presentdisclosure, that which is well-known to one of ordinary skill in therelevant art has generally been omitted for the sake of brevity. Theaccompanying drawings are used to help easily understand varioustechnical features and it should be understood that the embodimentspresented herein are not limited by the accompanying drawings. As such,the present disclosure should be construed to extend to any alterations,equivalents and substitutes in addition to those which are particularlyset out in the accompanying drawings.

It will be understood that although the terms first, second, etc. may beused herein to describe various elements, these elements should not belimited by these terms. These terms are generally only used todistinguish one element from another.

It will be understood that when an element is referred to as being“connected with” another element, the element can be directly connectedwith the other element or intervening elements may also be present. Incontrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly connectedwith” another element, there are no intervening elements present.

A singular representation may include a plural representation unless itrepresents a definitely different meaning from the context.

Terms such as “include” or “has” are used herein and should beunderstood that they are intended to indicate an existence of severalcomponents, functions or steps, disclosed in the specification, and itis also understood that greater or fewer components, functions, or stepsmay likewise be utilized.

Mobile terminals presented herein may be implemented using a variety ofdifferent types of terminals. Examples of such terminals includecellular phones, smart phones, user equipment, laptop computers, digitalbroadcast terminals, personal digital assistants (PDAs), portablemultimedia players (PMPs), navigators, portable computers (PCs), slatePCs, tablet PCs, ultra books, wearable devices (for example, smartwatches, smart glasses, head mounted displays (HMDs)), and the like.

By way of non-limiting example only, further description will be madewith reference to particular types of mobile terminals. However, suchteachings apply equally to other types of terminals, such as those typesnoted above. In addition, these teachings may also be applied tostationary terminals such as digital TV, desktop computers, and thelike.

Reference is now made to FIGS. 1A-1C, where FIG. 1A is a block diagramof a mobile terminal in accordance with the present disclosure, andFIGS. 1B and 1C are conceptual views of one example of the mobileterminal, viewed from different directions.

The mobile terminal 100 is shown having components such as a wirelesscommunication unit 110, an input unit 120, a sensing unit 140, an outputunit 150, an interface unit 160, a memory 170, a controller 180, and apower supply unit 190. Referring now to FIG. 1A, the mobile terminal 100is shown having wireless communication unit 110 configured with severalcommonly implemented components. It is understood that implementing allof the illustrated components is not a requirement, and that greater orfewer components may alternatively be implemented.

More specifically, the wireless communication unit 110 typicallyincludes one or more modules which permit communications such aswireless communications between the mobile terminal 100 and a wirelesscommunication system, communications between the mobile terminal 100 andanother mobile terminal, communications between the mobile terminal 100and an external server. Further, the wireless communication unit 110typically includes one or more modules which connect the mobile terminal100 to one or more networks.

To facilitate such communications, the wireless communication unit 110includes one or more of a broadcast receiving module 111, a mobilecommunication module 112, a wireless Internet module 113, a short-rangecommunication module 114, and a location information module 115.

The input unit 120 includes a camera 121 for obtaining images or video,a microphone 122, which is one type of audio input device for inputtingan audio signal, and a user input unit 123 (for example, a touch key, apush key, a mechanical key, a soft key, and the like) for allowing auser to input information. Data (for example, audio, video, image, andthe like) is obtained by the input unit 120 and may be analyzed andprocessed by controller 180 according to device parameters, usercommands, and combinations thereof.

The sensing unit 140 is typically implemented using one or more sensorsconfigured to sense internal information of the mobile terminal, thesurrounding environment of the mobile terminal, user information, andthe like. For example, the sensing unit 140 may alternatively oradditionally include other types of sensors or devices, such as aproximity sensor 141 and an illumination sensor 142, a touch sensor, anacceleration sensor, a magnetic sensor, a G-sensor, a gyroscope sensor,a motion sensor, an RGB sensor, an infrared (IR) sensor, a finger scansensor, a ultrasonic sensor, an optical sensor (for example, camera121), a microphone 122, a battery gauge, an environment sensor (forexample, a barometer, a hygrometer, a thermometer, a radiation detectionsensor, a thermal sensor, and a gas sensor, among others), and achemical sensor (for example, an electronic nose, a health care sensor,a biometric sensor, and the like), to name a few. The mobile terminal100 may be configured to utilize information obtained from sensing unit140, and in particular, information obtained from one or more sensors ofthe sensing unit 140, and combinations thereof.

The output unit 150 is typically configured to output various types ofinformation, such as audio, video, tactile output, and the like. Theoutput unit 150 is shown having a display unit 151, an audio outputmodule 152, a haptic module 153, and an optical output module 154. Thedisplay unit 151 may have an inter-layered structure or an integratedstructure with a touch sensor in order to facilitate a touch screen. Thetouch screen may provide an output interface between the mobile terminal100 and a user, as well as function as the user input unit 123 whichprovides an input interface between the mobile terminal 100 and theuser.

The interface unit 160 serves as an interface with various types ofexternal devices that can be coupled to the mobile terminal 100. Theinterface unit 160, for example, may include any of wired or wirelessports, external power supply ports, wired or wireless data ports, memorycard ports, ports for connecting a device having an identificationmodule, audio input/output (I/O) ports, video I/O ports, earphone ports,and the like. In some cases, the mobile terminal 100 may performassorted control functions associated with a connected external device,in response to the external device being connected to the interface unit160.

The memory 170 is typically implemented to store data to support variousfunctions or features of the mobile terminal 100. For instance, thememory 170 may be configured to store application programs executed inthe mobile terminal 100, data or instructions for operations of themobile terminal 100, and the like. Some of these application programsmay be downloaded from an external server via wireless communication.Other application programs may be installed within the mobile terminal100 at time of manufacturing or shipping, which is typically the casefor basic functions of the mobile terminal 100 (for example, receiving acall, placing a call, receiving a message, sending a message, and thelike). It is common for application programs to be stored in the memory170, installed in the mobile terminal 100, and executed by thecontroller 180 to perform an operation (or function) for the mobileterminal 100.

The controller 180 typically functions to control overall operation ofthe mobile terminal 100, in addition to the operations associated withthe application programs. The controller 180 may provide or processinformation or functions appropriate for a user by processing signals,data, information and the like, which are input or output, or activatingapplication programs stored in the memory 170.

To drive the application programs stored in the memory 170, thecontroller 180 may be implemented to control a predetermined number ofthe components mentioned above in reference with FIG. 1A. Moreover, thecontroller 180 may be implemented to combinedly operate two or more ofthe components provided in the mobile terminal 100 to drive theapplication programs.

The power supply unit 190 can be configured to receive external power orprovide internal power in order to supply appropriate power required foroperating elements and components included in the mobile terminal 100.The power supply unit 190 may include a battery, and the battery may beconfigured to be embedded in the terminal body, or configured to bedetachable from the terminal body.

Some or more of the components may be operated cooperatively to embodyan operation, control or a control method of the mobile terminal inaccordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. Also, theoperation, control or control method of the mobile terminal may berealized on the mobile terminal by driving of one or more applicationproblems stored in the memory 170.

Hereinafter, referring to FIG. 1A, the components mentioned above willbe described in detail before describing the various embodiments whichare realized by the mobile terminal 100 in accordance with the presentdisclosure.

Regarding the wireless communication unit 110, the broadcast receivingmodule 111 is typically configured to receive a broadcast signal and/orbroadcast associated information from an external broadcast managingentity via a broadcast channel. The broadcast channel may include asatellite channel, a terrestrial channel, or both. In some embodiments,two or more broadcast receiving modules 111 may be utilized tofacilitate simultaneously receiving of two or more broadcast channels,or to support switching among broadcast channels.

The mobile communication module 112 can transmit and/or receive wirelesssignals to and from one or more network entities. Typical examples of anetwork entity include a base station, an external mobile terminal, aserver, and the like. Such network entities form part of a mobilecommunication network, which is constructed according to technicalstandards or communication methods for mobile communications (forexample, Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM), Code DivisionMulti Access (CDMA), CDMA2000 (Code Division Multi Access 2000), EV-DO(Enhanced Voice-Data Optimized or Enhanced Voice-Data Only), WidebandCDMA (WCDMA), High Speed Downlink Packet access (HSDPA), HSUPA (HighSpeed Uplink Packet Access), Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-A (Long TermEvolution-Advanced), and the like).

Examples of wireless signals transmitted and/or received via the mobilecommunication module 112 include audio call signals, video (telephony)call signals, or various formats of data to support communication oftext and multimedia messages.

The wireless Internet module 113 is configured to facilitate wirelessInternet access. This module may be internally or externally coupled tothe mobile terminal 100. The wireless Internet module 113 may transmitand/or receive wireless signals via communication networks according towireless Internet technologies.

Examples of such wireless Internet access include Wireless LAN (WLAN),Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi), Wi-Fi Direct, Digital Living Network Alliance(DLNA), Wireless Broadband (WiBro), Worldwide Interoperability forMicrowave Access (WiMAX), High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA),HSUPA (High Speed Uplink Packet Access), Long Term Evolution (LTE),LTE-A (Long Term Evolution-Advanced), and the like. The wirelessInternet module 113 may transmit/receive data according to one or moreof such wireless Internet technologies, and other Internet technologiesas well.

In some embodiments, when the wireless Internet access is implementedaccording to, for example, WiBro, HSDPA, HSUPA, GSM, CDMA, WCDMA, LTE,LTE-A and the like, as part of a mobile communication network, thewireless Internet module 113 performs such wireless Internet access. Assuch, the Internet module 113 may cooperate with, or function as, themobile communication module 112.

The short-range communication module 114 is configured to facilitateshort-range communications. Suitable technologies for implementing suchshort-range communications include BLUETOOTH™, Radio FrequencyIDentification (RFID), Infrared Data Association (IrDA), Ultra-WideBand(UWB), ZigBee, Near Field Communication (NFC), Wireless-Fidelity(Wi-Fi), Wi-Fi Direct, Wireless USB (Wireless Universal Serial Bus), andthe like. The short-range communication module 114 in general supportswireless communications between the mobile terminal 100 and a wirelesscommunication system, communications between the mobile terminal 100 andanother mobile terminal 100, or communications between the mobileterminal and a network where another mobile terminal 100 (or an externalserver) is located, via wireless area networks. One example of thewireless area networks is a wireless personal area networks.

In some embodiments, another mobile terminal (which may be configuredsimilarly to mobile terminal 100) may be a wearable device, for example,a smart watch, a smart glass or a head mounted display (HMD), which isable to exchange data with the mobile terminal 100 (or otherwisecooperate with the mobile terminal 100). The short-range communicationmodule 114 may sense or recognize the wearable device, and permitcommunication between the wearable device and the mobile terminal 100.In addition, when the sensed wearable device is a device which isauthenticated to communicate with the mobile terminal 100, thecontroller 180, for example, may cause transmission of data processed inthe mobile terminal 100 to the wearable device via the short-rangecommunication module 114. Hence, a user of the wearable device may usethe data processed in the mobile terminal 100 on the wearable device.For example, when a call is received in the mobile terminal 100, theuser may answer the call using the wearable device. Also, when a messageis received in the mobile terminal 100, the user can check the receivedmessage using the wearable device.

The location information module 115 is generally configured to detect,calculate, derive or otherwise identify a position of the mobileterminal. As an example, the location information module 115 includes aGlobal Position System (GPS) module, a Wi-Fi module, or both. Ifdesired, the location information module 115 may alternatively oradditionally function with any of the other modules of the wirelesscommunication unit 110 to obtain data related to the position of themobile terminal. As one example, when the mobile terminal uses a GPSmodule, a position of the mobile terminal may be acquired using a signalsent from a GPS satellite. As another example, when the mobile terminaluses the Wi-Fi module, a position of the mobile terminal can be acquiredbased on information related to a wireless access point (AP) whichtransmits or receives a wireless signal to or from the Wi-Fi module.

The input unit 120 may be configured to permit various types of input tothe mobile terminal 120. Examples of such input include audio, image,video, data, and user input. Image and video input is often obtainedusing one or more cameras 121. Such cameras 121 may process image framesof still pictures or video obtained by image sensors in a video or imagecapture mode. The processed image frames can be displayed on the displayunit 151 or stored in memory 170. In some cases, the cameras 121 may bearranged in a matrix configuration to permit a plurality of imageshaving various angles or focal points to be input to the mobile terminal100. As another example, the cameras 121 may be located in astereoscopic arrangement to acquire left and right images forimplementing a stereoscopic image.

The microphone 122 is generally implemented to permit audio input to themobile terminal 100. The audio input can be processed in various mannersaccording to a function being executed in the mobile terminal 100. Ifdesired, the microphone 122 may include assorted noise removingalgorithms to remove unwanted noise generated in the course of receivingthe external audio.

The user input unit 123 is a component that permits input by a user.Such user input may enable the controller 180 to control operation ofthe mobile terminal 100. The user input unit 123 may include one or moreof a mechanical input element (for example, a key, a button located on afront and/or rear surface or a side surface of the mobile terminal 100,a dome switch, a jog wheel, a jog switch, and the like), or atouch-sensitive input, among others. As one example, the touch-sensitiveinput may be a virtual key or a soft key, which is displayed on a touchscreen through software processing, or a touch key which is located onthe mobile terminal at a location that is other than the touch screen.On the other hand, the virtual key or the visual key may be displayed onthe touch screen in various shapes, for example, graphic, text, icon,video, or a combination thereof.

The sensing unit 140 is generally configured to sense one or more ofinternal information of the mobile terminal, surrounding environmentinformation of the mobile terminal, user information, or the like. Thecontroller 180 generally cooperates with the sensing unit 140 to controloperation of the mobile terminal 100 or execute data processing, afunction or an operation associated with an application programinstalled in the mobile terminal based on the sensing provided by thesensing unit 140. The sensing unit 140 may be implemented using any of avariety of sensors, some of which will now be described in more detail.

The proximity sensor 141 may include a sensor to sense presence orabsence of an object approaching a surface, or an object located near asurface, by using an electromagnetic field, infrared rays, or the likewithout a mechanical contact. The proximity sensor 141 may be arrangedat an inner region of the mobile terminal covered by the touch screen,or near the touch screen.

The proximity sensor 141, for example, may include any of a transmissivetype photoelectric sensor, a direct reflective type photoelectricsensor, a mirror reflective type photoelectric sensor, a high-frequencyoscillation proximity sensor, a capacitance type proximity sensor, amagnetic type proximity sensor, an infrared rays proximity sensor, andthe like. When the touch screen is implemented as a capacitance type,the proximity sensor 141 can sense proximity of a pointer relative tothe touch screen by changes of an electromagnetic field, which isresponsive to an approach of an object with conductivity. In this case,the touch screen (touch sensor) may also be categorized as a proximitysensor.

The term “proximity touch” will often be referred to herein to denotethe scenario in which a pointer is positioned to be proximate to thetouch screen without contacting the touch screen. The term “contacttouch” will often be referred to herein to denote the scenario in whicha pointer makes physical contact with the touch screen. For the positioncorresponding to the proximity touch of the pointer relative to thetouch screen, such position will correspond to a position where thepointer is perpendicular to the touch screen. The proximity sensor 141may sense proximity touch, and proximity touch patterns (for example,distance, direction, speed, time, position, moving status, and thelike). In general, controller 180 processes data corresponding toproximity touches and proximity touch patterns sensed by the proximitysensor 141, and cause output of visual information on the touch screen.In addition, the controller 180 can control the mobile terminal 100 toexecute different operations or process different data according towhether a touch with respect to a point on the touch screen is either aproximity touch or a contact touch.

A touch sensor can sense a touch applied to the touch screen, such asdisplay unit 151, using any of a variety of touch methods. Examples ofsuch touch methods include a resistive type, a capacitive type, aninfrared type, and a magnetic field type, among others.

As one example, the touch sensor may be configured to convert changes ofpressure applied to a specific part of the display unit 151, or convertcapacitance occurring at a specific part of the display unit 151, intoelectric input signals. The touch sensor may also be configured to sensenot only a touched position and a touched area, but also touch pressureand/or touch capacitance. A touch object is generally used to apply atouch input to the touch sensor. Examples of typical touch objectsinclude a finger, a touch pen, a stylus pen, a pointer, or the like.

When a touch input is sensed by a touch sensor, corresponding signalsmay be transmitted to a touch controller. The touch controller mayprocess the received signals, and then transmit corresponding data tothe controller 180. Accordingly, the controller 180 may sense whichregion of the display unit 151 has been touched. Here, the touchcontroller may be a component separate from the controller 180, thecontroller 180, and combinations thereof.

In some embodiments, the controller 180 may execute the same ordifferent controls according to a type of touch object that touches thetouch screen or a touch key provided in addition to the touch screen.Whether to execute the same or different control according to the objectwhich provides a touch input may be decided based on a current operatingstate of the mobile terminal 100 or a currently executed applicationprogram, for example.

The touch sensor and the proximity sensor may be implementedindividually, or in combination, to sense various types of touches. Suchtouches includes a short (or tap) touch, a long touch, a multi-touch, adrag touch, a flick touch, a pinch-in touch, a pinch-out touch, a swipetouch, a hovering touch, and the like.

If desired, an ultrasonic sensor may be implemented to recognizeposition information relating to a touch object using ultrasonic waves.The controller 180, for example, may calculate a position of a wavegeneration source based on information sensed by an illumination sensorand a plurality of ultrasonic sensors. Since light is much faster thanultrasonic waves, the time for which the light reaches the opticalsensor is much shorter than the time for which the ultrasonic wavereaches the ultrasonic sensor. The position of the wave generationsource may be calculated using this fact. For instance, the position ofthe wave generation source may be calculated using the time differencefrom the time that the ultrasonic wave reaches the sensor based on thelight as a reference signal.

The camera 121 typically includes at least one a camera sensor (CCD,CMOS etc.), a photo sensor (or image sensors), and a laser sensor.

Implementing the camera 121 with a laser sensor may allow detection of atouch of a physical object with respect to a 3D stereoscopic image. Thephoto sensor may be laminated on, or overlapped with, the displaydevice. The photo sensor may be configured to scan movement of thephysical object in proximity to the touch screen. In more detail, thephoto sensor may include photo diodes and transistors at rows andcolumns to scan content received at the photo sensor using an electricalsignal which changes according to the quantity of applied light. Namely,the photo sensor may calculate the coordinates of the physical objectaccording to variation of light to thus obtain position information ofthe physical object.

The display unit 151 is generally configured to output informationprocessed in the mobile terminal 100. For example, the display unit 151may display execution screen information of an application programexecuting at the mobile terminal 100 or user interface (UI) and graphicuser interface (GUI) information in response to the execution screeninformation.

In some embodiments, the display unit 151 may be implemented as astereoscopic display unit for displaying stereoscopic images.

A typical stereoscopic display unit may employ a stereoscopic displayscheme such as a stereoscopic scheme (a glass scheme), anauto-stereoscopic scheme (glassless scheme), a projection scheme(holographic scheme), or the like.

The audio output module 152 is generally configured to output audiodata. Such audio data may be obtained from any of a number of differentsources, such that the audio data may be received from the wirelesscommunication unit 110 or may have been stored in the memory 170. Theaudio data may be output during modes such as a signal reception mode, acall mode, a record mode, a voice recognition mode, a broadcastreception mode, and the like. The audio output module 152 can provideaudible output related to a particular function (e.g., a call signalreception sound, a message reception sound, etc.) performed by themobile terminal 100. The audio output module 152 may also be implementedas a receiver, a speaker, a buzzer, or the like.

A haptic module 153 can be configured to generate various tactileeffects that a user feels, perceive, or otherwise experience. A typicalexample of a tactile effect generated by the haptic module 153 isvibration. The strength, pattern and the like of the vibration generatedby the haptic module 153 can be controlled by user selection or settingby the controller. For example, the haptic module 153 may outputdifferent vibrations in a combining manner or a sequential manner.

Besides vibration, the haptic module 153 can generate various othertactile effects, including an effect by stimulation such as a pinarrangement vertically moving to contact skin, a spray force or suctionforce of air through a jet orifice or a suction opening, a touch to theskin, a contact of an electrode, electrostatic force, an effect byreproducing the sense of cold and warmth using an element that canabsorb or generate heat, and the like.

The haptic module 153 can also be implemented to allow the user to feela tactile effect through a muscle sensation such as the user's fingersor arm, as well as transferring the tactile effect through directcontact. Two or more haptic modules 153 may be provided according to theparticular configuration of the mobile terminal 100.

An optical output module 154 can output a signal for indicating an eventgeneration using light of a light source. Examples of events generatedin the mobile terminal 100 may include message reception, call signalreception, a missed call, an alarm, a schedule notice, an emailreception, information reception through an application, and the like.

A signal output by the optical output module 154 may be implemented insuch a manner that the mobile terminal emits monochromatic light orlight with a plurality of colors. The signal output may be terminated asthe mobile terminal senses that a user has checked the generated event,for example.

The interface unit 160 serves as an interface for external devices to beconnected with the mobile terminal 100. For example, the interface unit160 can receive data transmitted from an external device, receive powerto transfer to elements and components within the mobile terminal 100,or transmit internal data of the mobile terminal 100 to such externaldevice. The interface unit 160 may include wired or wireless headsetports, external power supply ports, wired or wireless data ports, memorycard ports, ports for connecting a device having an identificationmodule, audio input/output (I/O) ports, video I/O ports, earphone ports,or the like.

The identification module may be a chip that stores various informationfor authenticating authority of using the mobile terminal 100 and mayinclude a user identity module (UIM), a subscriber identity module(SIM), a universal subscriber identity module (USIM), and the like. Inaddition, the device having the identification module (also referred toherein as an “identifying device”) may take the form of a smart card.Accordingly, the identifying device can be connected with the terminal100 via the interface unit 160.

When the mobile terminal 100 is connected with an external cradle, theinterface unit 160 can serve as a passage to allow power from the cradleto be supplied to the mobile terminal 100 or may serve as a passage toallow various command signals input by the user from the cradle to betransferred to the mobile terminal there through. Various commandsignals or power input from the cradle may operate as signals forrecognizing that the mobile terminal is properly mounted on the cradle.

The memory 170 can store programs to support operations of thecontroller 180 and store input/output data (for example, phonebook,messages, still images, videos, etc.). The memory 170 may store datarelated to various patterns of vibrations and audio which are output inresponse to touch inputs on the touch screen.

The memory 170 may include one or more types of storage mediumsincluding a Flash memory, a hard disk, a solid state disk, a silicondisk, a multimedia card micro type, a card-type memory (e.g., SD or DXmemory, etc.), a Random Access Memory (RAM), a Static Random AccessMemory (SRAM), a Read-Only Memory (ROM), an Electrically ErasableProgrammable Read-Only Memory (EEPROM), a Programmable Read-Only memory(PROM), a magnetic memory, a magnetic disk, an optical disk, and thelike. The mobile terminal 100 may also be operated in relation to anetwork storage device that performs the storage function of the memory170 over a network, such as the Internet.

The controller 180 may typically control the general operations of themobile terminal 100. For example, the controller 180 may set or releasea lock state for restricting a user from inputting a control commandwith respect to applications when a status of the mobile terminal meetsa preset condition.

The controller 180 can also perform the controlling and processingassociated with voice calls, data communications, video calls, and thelike, or perform pattern recognition processing to recognize ahandwriting input or a picture drawing input performed on the touchscreen as characters or images, respectively. In addition, thecontroller 180 can control one or a combination of those components inorder to implement various exemplary embodiments disclosed herein.

The power supply unit 190 may be provided with the power supplied by anexternal power source and the power supplied therein under the controlof the controller 180 so as to supply the needed power to each of thecomponents. The power supply unit 190 may include a battery. The batterymay be a built-in type which is rechargeable and detachably loaded inthe terminal to be charged.

The power supply unit 190 may include a connection port. The connectionport may be configured as one example of the interface unit 160 to whichan external charger for supplying power to recharge the battery iselectrically connected.

As another example, the power supply unit 190 may be configured torecharge the battery in a wireless manner without use of the connectionport. In this example, the power supply unit 190 can receive power,transferred from an external wireless power transmitter, using at leastone of an inductive coupling method which is based on magnetic inductionor a magnetic resonance coupling method which is based onelectromagnetic resonance.

Various embodiments described herein may be implemented in acomputer-readable medium, a machine-readable medium, or similar mediumusing, for example, software, hardware, or any combination thereof.

Referring now to FIGS. 1B and 1C, the mobile terminal 100 is describedwith reference to a bar-type terminal body. However, the mobile terminal100 may alternatively be implemented in any of a variety of differentconfigurations. Examples of such configurations include watch-type,clip-type, glasses-type, or as a folder-type, flip-type, slide-type,swing-type, and swivel-type in which two and more bodies are combinedwith each other in a relatively movable manner, and combinationsthereof. Discussion herein will often relate to a particular type ofmobile terminal (for example, bar-type, watch-type, glasses-type, andthe like). However, such teachings with regard to a particular type ofmobile terminal will generally apply to other types of mobile terminalsas well.

Here, the terminal body may be understood to refer to the concept ofthis bore a mobile terminal 100 to at least one of the aggregate.

The mobile terminal 100 will generally include a case (for example,frame, housing, cover, and the like) forming the appearance of theterminal. In this embodiment, the case is formed using a front case 101and a rear case 102. Various electronic components are incorporated intoa space formed between the front case 101 and the rear case 102. Atleast one middle case may be additionally positioned between the frontcase 101 and the rear case 102.

The display unit 151 is shown located on the front side of the terminalbody to output information. As illustrated, a window 151 a of thedisplay unit 151 may be mounted to the front case 101 to form the frontsurface of the terminal body together with the front case 101.

A middle frame 290 (see FIG. 3) may be configured to support thebackside of the display unit 151 for rigidity of the mobile terminal100. The middle frame 290 may include a metallic material for therigidity. Further, the middle frame may not only provide the rigidity tothe mobile terminal and but also serve as a ground with a large-area andmade of a conductive material. The middle frame may be connected to eachof components for grounding of the electronic components such asantennas.

The middle frame 290 may be configured so as not to be exposed to theoutside and may be integrally formed with a front case located on thefront surface of the body or a side case 200 located on the side surfacethereof.

As the multimedia function is expanded, the size of the display unit 151is increased and the size of the bezel located around the active regionof the display unit 151 is gradually decreasing. In particular, the topportion requires installation spaces for the camera 121, the soundoutput unit 152, the proximity sensor 141, and the like to bepositioned, and physical buttons are disposed on the lower end. This maylimit the size expansion of the display unit 151.

However, in recent years, the size of each component is minimized and auser input unit 123 using a soft key is implemented instead of aphysical button, so that a soft key is displayed on the screen only whennecessary, and if unnecessary, the soft key disappears. Thus, the sizeof the screen can be increased.

In some embodiments, electronic components may also be mounted to therear case 102. Examples of such electronic components include adetachable battery 191, an identification module, a memory card, and thelike. Rear cover 103 is shown covering the electronic components, andthis cover may be detachably coupled to the rear case 102. Therefore,when the rear cover 103 is detached from the rear case 102, theelectronic components mounted to the rear case 102 are externallyexposed.

The cases 101, 102, 103 may be formed by injection-molding syntheticresin or may be formed of a metal, for example, stainless steel (STS),aluminum (Al), titanium (Ti), or the like.

The mobile terminal 100 of the present embodiment includes the side case200 surrounding a side surface. The side case 200 may include a metalmaterial. However, for wireless communication performance, a portion ofthe side case may include non-metallic materials. As shown in FIGS. 1Band 1C, the side case 200 includes a plurality of antennas 230 and 240(see FIG. 2) made of a conductive material such as metal, andnonmetallic slits 203 and 204 (See FIG. 2) arranged between theantennas.

As an alternative to the example in which the plurality of cases form aninner space for accommodating components, the mobile terminal 100 may beconfigured such that one case forms the inner space. In this example, amobile terminal 100 having a uni-body is formed in such a manner thatsynthetic resin or metal extends from a side surface to a rear surface.

If desired, the mobile terminal 100 may include a waterproofing unit(not shown) for preventing introduction of water into the terminal body.For example, the waterproofing unit may include a waterproofing memberwhich is located between the window 151 a and the front case 101,between the front case 101 and the rear case 102, or between the rearcase 102 and the rear cover 103, to hermetically seal an inner spacewhen those cases are coupled.

The mobile terminal 100 may include the display unit 151, the first andsecond audio output modules 152 a and 152 b, the proximity sensor 141,the illuminance sensor 142, the optical output module 154, the first andsecond cameras 121 a and 121 b, the first and second manipulation units123 a and 123 b, the microphone 122 and the interface unit 160.

It will be described for the mobile terminal as shown in FIGS. 1B and1C. The display unit 151, the first audio output module 152 a, theproximity sensor 141, an illumination sensor 142, the optical outputmodule 154, the first camera 121 a and the first manipulation unit 123 aare arranged in front surface of the terminal body, the secondmanipulation unit 123 b, the microphone 122 and interface unit 160 arearranged in side surface of the terminal body, and the second audiooutput modules 152 b and the second camera 121 b are arranged in rearsurface of the terminal body.

It is to be understood that alternative arrangements are possible andwithin the teachings of the instant disclosure. Some components may beomitted or rearranged. For example, the first manipulation unit 123 amay be located on another surface of the terminal body, and the secondaudio output module 152 b may be located on the side surface of theterminal body.

The display unit 151 is generally configured to output informationprocessed in the mobile terminal 100. For example, the display unit 151may display execution screen information of an application programexecuting at the mobile terminal 100 or user interface (UI) and graphicuser interface (GUI) information in response to the execution screeninformation.

The display unit 151 outputs information processed in the mobileterminal 100. The display unit 151 may be implemented using one or moresuitable display devices. Examples of such suitable display devicesinclude a liquid crystal display (LCD), a thin film transistor-liquidcrystal display (TFT-LCD), an organic light emitting diode (OLED), aflexible display, a 3-dimensional (3D) display, an e-ink display, andcombinations thereof.

The display unit 151 may be implemented using two display devices, whichcan implement the same or different display technology. For instance, aplurality of the display units 151 may be arranged on one side, eitherspaced apart from each other, or these devices may be integrated, orthese devices may be arranged on different surfaces.

The display unit 151 may also include a touch sensor which senses atouch input received at the display unit. When a touch is input to thedisplay unit 151, the touch sensor may be configured to sense this touchand the controller 180, for example, may generate a control command orother signal corresponding to the touch. The content which is input inthe touching manner may be a text or numerical value, or a menu itemwhich can be indicated or designated in various modes.

The touch sensor may be configured in a form of a film having a touchpattern, disposed between the window 151 a and a display on a rearsurface of the window 151 a, or a metal wire which is patterned directlyon the rear surface of the window 151 a. Alternatively, the touch sensormay be integrally formed with the display. For example, the touch sensormay be disposed on a substrate of the display or within the display.

The display unit 151 may also form a touch screen together with thetouch sensor. Here, the touch screen may serve as the user input unit123 (see FIG. 1A). Therefore, the touch screen may replace at least someof the functions of the first manipulation unit 123 a.

The first audio output module 152 a may be implemented in the form of aspeaker to output voice audio, alarm sounds, multimedia audioreproduction, and the like.

The window 151 a of the display unit 151 will typically include anaperture to permit audio generated by the first audio output module 152a to pass. One alternative is to allow audio to be released along anassembly gap between the structural bodies (for example, a gap betweenthe window 151 a and the front case 101). In this case, a holeindependently formed to output audio sounds may not be seen or isotherwise hidden in terms of appearance, thereby further simplifying theappearance and manufacturing of the mobile terminal 100.

The optical output module 154 can be configured to output light forindicating an event generation. Examples of such events include amessage reception, a call signal reception, a missed call, an alarm, aschedule notice, an email reception, information reception through anapplication, and the like. When a user has checked a generated event,the controller can control the optical output unit 154 to stop the lightoutput.

The first camera 121 a can process image frames such as still or movingimages obtained by the image sensor in a capture mode or a video callmode. The processed image frames can then be displayed on the displayunit 151 or stored in the memory 170.

The first and second manipulation units 123 a and 123 b are examples ofthe user input unit 123, which may be manipulated by a user to provideinput to the mobile terminal 100. The first and second manipulationunits 123 a and 123 b may also be commonly referred to as a manipulatingportion, and may employ any tactile method that allows the user toperform manipulation such as touch, push, scroll, or the like. The firstand second manipulation units 123 a and 123 b may also employ anynon-tactile method that allows the user to perform manipulation such asproximity touch, hovering, or the like.

FIG. 1B illustrates the first manipulation unit 123 a as a touch key,but possible alternatives include a mechanical key, a push key, a touchkey, and combinations thereof.

Input received at the first and second manipulation units 123 a and 123b may be used in various ways. For example, the first manipulation unit123 a may be used by the user to provide an input to a menu, home key,cancel, search, or the like, and the second manipulation unit 123 b maybe used by the user to provide an input to control a volume level beingoutput from the first or second audio output modules 152 a or 152 b, toswitch to a touch recognition mode of the display unit 151, or the like.

As another example of the user input unit 123, a rear input unit 123 cmay be located on the rear surface of the terminal body. The rear inputunit 123 c can be manipulated by a user to provide input to the mobileterminal 100. The input may be used in a variety of different ways. Forexample, the rear input unit 123 c may be used by the user to provide aninput for power on/off, start, end, scroll, control volume level beingoutput from the first or second audio output modules 152 a or 152 b,switch to a touch recognition mode of the display unit 151, and thelike. The rear input unit 123 c may be configured to permit touch input,a push input, or combinations thereof.

The rear input unit 123 c may be located to overlap the display unit 151of the front side in a thickness direction of the terminal body. As oneexample, the rear input unit 123 c may be located on an upper endportion of the rear side of the terminal body such that a user caneasily manipulate it using a forefinger when the user grabs the terminalbody with one hand. Alternatively, the rear input unit 123 c can bepositioned at most any location of the rear side of the terminal body.

Embodiments that include the rear input unit 123 c may implement some orall of the functionality of the first manipulation unit 123 a in therear input unit. As such, in situations where the first manipulationunit 123 a is omitted from the front side, the display unit 151 can havea larger screen.

As a further alternative, the mobile terminal 100 may include a fingerscan sensor which scans a user's fingerprint. The controller 180 canthen use fingerprint information sensed by the finger scan sensor aspart of an authentication procedure. The finger scan sensor may also beinstalled in the display unit 151 or implemented in the user input unit123.

The microphone 122 is shown located at an end of the mobile terminal100, but other locations are possible. If desired, multiple microphonesmay be implemented, with such an arrangement permitting the receiving ofstereo sounds.

The interface unit 160 may serve as a path allowing the mobile terminal100 to interface with external devices. For example, the interface unit160 may include one or more of a connection terminal for connecting toanother device (for example, an earphone, an external speaker, or thelike), a port for near field communication (for example, an InfraredData Association (IrDA) port, a Bluetooth port, a wireless LAN port, andthe like), or a power supply terminal for supplying power to the mobileterminal 100. The interface unit 160 may be implemented in the form of asocket for accommodating an external card, such as SubscriberIdentification Module (SIM), User Identity Module (UIM), or a memorycard for information storage.

The second camera 121 b is shown located at the rear side of theterminal body and includes an image capturing direction that issubstantially opposite to the image capturing direction of the firstcamera unit 121 a. If desired, second camera 121 a may alternatively belocated at other locations, or made to be moveable, in order to have adifferent image capturing direction from that which is shown.

The second camera 121 b can include a plurality of lenses arranged alongat least one line. The plurality of lenses may also be arranged in amatrix configuration. The cameras may be referred to as an “arraycamera.” When the second camera 121 b is implemented as an array camera,images may be captured in various manners using the plurality of lensesand images with better qualities.

A flash 124 is shown located adjacent to the second camera 121 b. Whenan image of a subject is captured with the camera 121 b, the flash 124may illuminate the subject.

The second audio output module 152 b can be located on the terminalbody. The second audio output module 152 b may implement stereophonicsound functions in conjunction with the first audio output module 152 a,and may be also used for implementing a speaker phone mode for callcommunication.

At least one antenna for wireless communication may be located on theterminal body. The antenna may be installed in the terminal body orformed by the case. For example, an antenna which configures a part ofthe broadcast receiving module 111 (see FIG. 1A). may be retractableinto the terminal body. Alternatively, an antenna may be formed using afilm attached to an inner surface of the rear cover 103, or a case thatincludes a conductive material.

A power supply unit 190 for supplying power to the mobile terminal 100may include a battery 191, which is mounted in the terminal body ordetachably coupled to an outside of the terminal body.

The battery 191 may receive power via a power source cable connected tothe interface unit 160. Also, the battery 191 can be recharged in awireless manner using a wireless charger. Wireless charging may beimplemented by magnetic induction or electromagnetic resonance.

The rear cover 103 is shown coupled to the rear case 102 for shieldingthe battery 191, to prevent separation of the battery 191, and toprotect the battery 191 from an external impact or from foreignmaterial. When the battery 191 is detachable from the terminal body, therear case 103 may be detachably coupled to the rear case 102.

An accessory for protecting an appearance or assisting or extending thefunctions of the mobile terminal 100 can also be provided on the mobileterminal 100. As one example of an accessory, a cover or pouch forcovering or accommodating at least one surface of the mobile terminal100 may be provided. The cover or pouch may cooperate with the displayunit 151 to extend the function of the mobile terminal 100. Anotherexample of the accessory is a touch pen for assisting or extending atouch input to a touch screen.

Hereinafter, embodiments related to a control method that may beimplemented in the mobile terminal configured as described above will bedescribed with reference to the accompanying drawings. It will beapparent to those skilled in the art that the present disclosure may beembodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit oressential characteristics of the present disclosure.

As the multimedia function becomes important, the wireless communicationtechnology performed by the mobile terminal 100 is performed in variousforms, for example, in a short-range, long distance or inter-devicemanner. In this connection, because different frequency bands are used,different antennas should be used.

In recent years, as wireless communication technology has developed, alarge amount of data has been transmitted and received. To this end, itis possible to use a multiple input/multiple output (MIMO) technique forsimultaneously or sequentially transmitting/receiving signals at thesame frequency band. This may increase the number of antennas of thebase station and the mobile terminal 100 to two or more antennas totransmit data along a plurality of paths and may detect a signalreceived along each of the paths by a receiving end to reduceinterference therebetween and reduce the transmission rate of each path.In order to apply the MIMO technique, it is necessary to increase thenumber of antennas within a limited size of the mobile terminal 100.

Because the antenna generates an electromagnetic field, it is affectedby adjacent conductive materials. Thus, interference may occur betweenadjacent antennas, which may cause degradation of radio signalperformance. Accordingly, the antennas may be attached to the case to bedisposed on the outer side of the mobile terminal 100, or the caseitself may be used as an antenna.

As the size of the display unit increases, the size of the left andright bezels of the mobile terminal 100 is almost zero. The side caseson the left and right to the display unit may not function as antennasreliably. For this reason, each of the top and bottom portions of themobile terminal 100 may act as an antenna.

FIG. 2 shows an antenna for short-range wireless communication such asWi-Fi and Bluetooth among the antennas of the mobile terminal 100 inaccordance with the present disclosure. The mobile terminal 100 inaccordance with the present disclosure has an antenna for performingWi-Fi/Bluetooth based wireless communication at the top portion of themobile terminal 100.

Wi-Fi WIFI stands for Wireless Fidelity. This is a technology calledshort-range communication network over which the device can access thewireless Internet within a certain distance using the radio wave orinfrared transmission scheme in a site where the access point (AP) isinstalled. The main purpose of Wi-Fi is to allow the user to accessinformation more easily and to allow the user device to coexist withperipheral devices to enhance compatibility therebetween, and to allowwireless access to applications and data, media, and streams. In orderto use Wi-Fi, the access point (AP) is required. When the AP isavailable, a device supporting the Wi-Fi captures the reception radiowave and tries to access the Internet.

According to the IEEE 802.11 standard, signals in the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHzfrequency bands are used. The conventional WiFi antenna uses the SISO(serial in serial out scheme), thereby to have a slow transmission rate.However, recently, the data transmission amount has increasedexponentially by applying the MIMO technology to the WIFI technology.

Bluetooth uses ISM (Industrial Scientific and Medical) frequency band of2400 to 2483.5 MHz. The band may be divided into 79 channels to preventinterference between devices. Bluetooth may utilize a frequency bandsimilar to that of WiFi and may perform wireless communication using thesame antenna as that of the WiFi.

The present disclosure is characterized in that a Wi-Fi antenna isimplemented using two antennas to improve the wireless communicationperformance based on the Wi-Fi. In this connection, the two antennas mayinclude a first antenna 240 as a portion of the side case and a secondantenna 250 sharing a ground line 241 with the first antenna 240 toimplement the Wi-Fi antenna.

Referring to FIG. 2, a middle frame 290 and a side case 200 are shown.The middle frame 290 and the side case 200 are spaced apart from eachother. In another example, they may be partially and integrallyconnected to each other.

The side case 200 includes antennas 230 and 240 made of a conductivematerial such as metal, and slits 203 and 204 spacing the antennas 230and 240 from each other. Although not shown in FIG. 2, an integratedside case 200 may be produced by injecting a nonconductive material intothe slit 203 and 204 between the antennas 230 and 240 in a dualinjection scheme, as shown in FIG. 1B and FIG. 1C.

The first antenna 240 located on the side case among the plurality ofantennas is an antenna used for wireless communication based on Wi-Fiand Bluetooth. A first end of the first antenna 240 is open, while asecond end thereof is connected to the middle frame 290. That is, themiddle frame 290 and the first antenna 240 defines a slot whose thefirst end is opened and the second end is blocked.

FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the operation and performance of thefirst antenna 240 of the mobile terminal 100 according to an embodimentof the present disclosure. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining theoperation of the second antenna 240 of the mobile terminal 100 and theelectric field distribution according to an embodiment of the presentdisclosure. The first antenna 240 in accordance with the presentdisclosure has an open first end near the slit 204. The second endthereof is connected to the middle frame 290 and thus is grounded.

A third antenna adjacent to the second antenna 250 has a portionadjacent to the second antenna 250 and connected to the middle frame 290via the ground line 241. Thus, the mutual interference between the thirdantenna and the second antenna 250 may be minimized such that the effectof the adjacent third antenna on the second antenna 250 may be reduced.

The second end of the first antenna 240 is connected to the middle frame290. Thus, the portion thereof connected to the middle frame 290 mayserve as a ground line 241. In another example, an additional groundline 241 may be provided. In this case, the position of the feeding line242 near the first end determines the resonance frequency of the firstantenna 240.

The feeding line 222 disposed adjacent to the ground line 241 is furtherincluded. A current flows from the ground line 241 along the firstantenna 240. As shown in FIG. 3B, the radiation mainly occurs throughthe slit 204 and the intensity of the electric field at the slit 204 isthe greatest.

However, as described above, because of the limitation of the mountingspace of the antenna, the spacing between the antennas may not be large.Thus, as shown in FIG. 2, the first antenna 240 and the second antenna250 are disposed adjacent to each other.

Even when the antennas transmitting and receiving signals at differentfrequency bands are disposed adjacent to each other, there isinterference between them. The mutual interference between a pluralityof antennas operating in the same frequency band may be more severe.Therefore, it is not easy to construct the antennas for transmitting andreceiving signals at the same frequency band in the mobile terminal 100having a small size.

To solve the problem, according to the present disclosure, the secondantenna 250 operating at the same frequency as that of the first antenna240 may have an additional radiator sharing the ground line 241 to avoidmutual interference.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a first antenna 240 of a mobileterminal 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure,wherein (a) is a perspective view thereof and (b) is a conceptual viewschematically showing the first antenna 240 and second antenna 250. Anend of the second antenna 250 is overlapped in the thickness directionwith the slot formed by the first antenna 240 and the middle frame 290and is spaced from the slot in the backward direction. The secondantenna 250 may be located on the inner surface of the rear case 102located on the rear surface of the middle frame 290.

The second antenna 250 is composed of two patterns as shown in FIG. 4A.A first pattern 254 and second pattern 2545 may be formed. A gap 253 asa separation space between first pattern and 254 second pattern 255 maybe defined. The ground line 241 shared between the second antenna 250and the first antenna 240 is connected to the first pattern 254 and thefeeding line 252 is connected to the second pattern 255.

An end of the second antenna 250 is disposed in a superposed manner withthe slot formed by the first antenna 240 and the middle frame 290 in thethickness direction of the mobile terminal 100. That is, the secondantenna 250 is spaced apart from the first antenna 240 in the backdirection of the mobile terminal 100. The second antenna 250 may belocated on the inner face of the rear case 102 located on the back faceof the middle frame 290. The second antenna 250 may be realized byinjecting the second antenna 250 to the inner face of the rear case 102or by attaching the patterns thereto.

As shown in FIG. 4(b), the gap 253 serves as a capacitor. Thus, it ispossible to reduce the interference between the first antenna 240 andthe second antenna 250 by using the characteristic that the charges aregathered around the gap. The left portion of FIG. 4(b) is the firstantenna 240 and the right portion thereof is the second antenna 250. Thefirst antenna 240 and the second antenna 250 have feeding lines 242 and252 respectively, while the ground line 241 is shared therebetween.

FIG. 5 is a view for explaining the operation of the second antenna 250of the mobile terminal 100 and the distribution of the electric fieldaccording to an embodiment of the present disclosure. (a) is a diagramshowing a current flow when power is applied to the feeding line 252 ofthe second antenna 250. (b) shows an electromagnetic field generatedwhen power is applied to the feeding line 252 of the second antenna 250.

Even though the first pattern 254 and the second pattern 255 are notconnected to each other, a current may flow therebetween after the gap253 has been charged like a capacitor. The current flows to the secondpattern 255 from the first pattern 254 while looping along the secondantenna 250. As described above, the slot formed by the first antenna240 overlaps the second antenna 250, and the first antenna 240 andsecond antenna 250 share the ground line 241. Thus, the current flowsthrough a fourth antenna radiator 240 due to the current flowing in thesecond antenna 250. Thus, the radiator may partially operate as a slotantenna.

As shown in FIG. 5(b), the largest electric field is generated aroundthe gap 253 because a large number of charges accumulate around the gap253. As shown in FIG. 5(b), when the first antenna 240 operates, alocation from which the main radiation occurs (that is, the locationwhere the largest electric field is generated) is the slit 204 adjacentto the first end of the first antenna 240. As shown in FIG. 5(b), whenthe second antenna 250 operates, a location from which the mainradiation occurs (that is, the location where the largest electric fieldis generated) is the gap 253 in the second antenna 250. Thus, thelocations from which the main radiation occurs (that is, the locationwhere the largest electric field is generated) when the first antenna240 and second antenna 250 operate may be different from each other.Thus, interference between the first antenna 240 and the second antenna250 may be reduced.

The second antenna 250 overlaps with the middle frame 290 as the ground,when viewed from the rear. When the middle frame 290 is overlapped withthe second antenna 250, the charges may be caught by the middle frame290, such that the radiation performance may be deteriorated. However,the first antenna 240 and second antenna 250 may share the ground line241 such that, with the help of the first antenna 240, the radiationfrom the second antenna 250 may occur as shown in FIG. 5 b.

The capacitance of the capacitor, that is, the amount of the chargecollected in the capacitor is determined by the distance between the twoconductors and the area of each of the opposite conductors. Thus, asshown in FIGS. 4(a) and 5(a), the gap may be formed in a bent shapeinstead of a straight line, so that the entire length of the gap may bemade larger. The larger the amount of the charges accumulated in thegap, the more radiation from the gap may occur. The isolation betweenthe second antenna and the first antenna may be larger.

FIG. 6 is a graph illustrating a mutual interference between the firstantenna 240 and the second antenna 250 of a mobile terminal according toan embodiment of the present disclosure. Both of the first antenna 240and second antenna 250 resonate at 2.5 GHz and 5 GHz. The graph haspeaks and valley corresponding thereto. However, since the first antenna240 and the second antenna 250 are arranged close to each other, S₁₂which represents the transfer coefficient at the point corresponding tothe resonance frequency becomes larger at the resonance frequency,thereby degrading the performance of the first antenna 240 and thesecond antenna 250.

In general, when the first antenna 240 and the second antenna 250transmitting and receiving signals at the same frequency are disposedadjacent to each other, the transfer coefficient is greater than −5 dB.In this embodiment, the transfer coefficient is about −9 dB at 2.5 GHzand is lower than −9 dB at 5 GHz, so that the influence between thefirst antenna 240 and the second antenna 250 is substantiallynegligible. Thus, forming the gap in the second antenna 250 to changethe radiation position as described above may reduce the reflectioncoefficient.

FIG. 7 is a graph illustrating wireless communication efficiency of thefirst antenna 240 and the second antenna 250 of the mobile terminalaccording to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The solid line isa graph showing the theoretical radiation efficiency when the impedancesof the antennas match with each other (in the ideal state), that is, thereflection coefficients S₁₁ and S₂₂ are −∞. The dotted line representsthe performance of the actually designed antennas. When implementing theactually designed antennas, the impedance matching is not perfect. Thus,the total efficiency is lower than the theoretical value.

As shown in FIG. 6, in the 2.5 GHz band, the first antenna 240 and thesecond antenna 250 both have the resonance frequency correctly locatedat 2.5 GHz, such that the impedance matching therebetween occurs. Thus,the actual efficiency is not much lower than the theoretical efficiency.

As described above, the mobile terminal 100 according to the presentdisclosure may increase the data transmission rate by having theincreased number of Wi-Fi antennas.

Further, antenna performance can be improved by minimizing interferencebetween the antennas transmitting and receiving signals at the samefrequency. Thus, even when the size of the display unit is large, theperformance of the antennas can be secured and the size of the top bezelof the display unit can be reduced.

The above detailed description should not be construed as beinglimitative in all terms, but should be considered as being illustrative.The scope of the present invention should be determined by reasonableanalysis of the accompanying claims, and all changes in the equivalentrange of the present invention are included in the scope of the presentinvention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A mobile terminal comprising: a case forreceiving an electronic component therein; a middle frame mounted on thecase; a main board mounted on the case; a first antenna spaced apartfrom and parallel with the middle frame, wherein the first antenna hasan open first end and a second end connected to the middle frame; afirst feeding line connected to the first antenna to transmit a signalthereto; a ground line connected to the first antenna to ground thefirst antenna; a second antenna connected to the ground line; and asecond feeding line connected to the second antenna, wherein the secondantenna includes: a first pattern connected to the ground line; and asecond pattern connected to the second feeding line, wherein a gap isdefined between the first pattern and the second pattern.
 2. The mobileterminal of claim 1, wherein the first antenna extends in a firstdirection, wherein the first pattern and the second pattern are arrangedin the first direction.
 3. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein thefirst end of the first antenna and the gap of the second antenna are notoverlapped with each other.
 4. The mobile terminal of claim 1, whereinthe gap of the second antenna extends in a bent shape.
 5. The mobileterminal of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the second antenna isoverlapped with a space between the first antenna and the middle frame.6. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of thesecond antenna is overlapped with the middle frame and is located on aback face of the case.
 7. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein thecase include a side case, wherein the first antenna defines a portion ofthe side case exposed to an outside.
 8. The mobile terminal of claim 1,wherein the case includes a rear case made of nonmetallic material,wherein the second antenna includes a conductive pattern attached to therear case.
 9. A mobile terminal comprising: a case for receiving anelectronic component therein; a middle frame mounted on the case; a mainboard mounted on the case; a first antenna disposed on one side of themiddle frame and parallel with the middle frame, wherein the firstantenna has one end connected to the middle frame and the other endbeing open such that an opened slot is defined between the middle frameand the other end of the other end of the first antenna; and a secondantenna having one side overlapped with the slot and the other sideoverlapped with the middle frame, wherein the second antenna has a gapdefined in a portion thereof overlapped with the middle frame.
 10. Themobile terminal of claim 9, wherein the mobile terminal furthercomprises: a first feeding line connected to the first antenna totransmit a signal thereto; a ground line connected to both of the firstantenna and the second antenna; and a second feeding line connected tothe second antenna to transmit a signal thereto, wherein the gap islocated between a location at which the ground line is connected to thesecond antenna and a location at which the second feeding line isconnected to the second antenna.